Music-leaf turner



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. P. JONES.

MUSIC LEAP TURNER. No. 343,663. Patented June 15, 1886.

N. PETERS, Phulwutm ramr, WxMom n c.

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sum 2. G. P. JONES.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER. No. 348,663. Patented June 15, 1886.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. P. JONES.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER. I No. 343,663. Patented-June 15, 1886.

23 c% iii =5 UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

CURTIS P. JONES, OF OLD LYME, CONNECTICUT.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,663, dated June 15,1886.

Serial No. 180,414. (No model.)

specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention pertains to improvements in combined book andsheet-1nusic holders and leaf-turners, the same being adapted for usewith musical instruments of any character, and to accommodate books orsheet-music of whatever size, as well as to readily permit of theturning of the leaves without the immediate application of the handthereto,and about with the movement of the hand of the player as thatrequired in playing the musical instrument, which are some of theadvantages of my invention.

The invention therefore consists of the combinations of parts,substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of myinvention, the rack being shown also in dotted lines ex tended, varyingits holding capacity. Fig. 2 is a plan View. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.Fig. 4 is a vertical central section thereof. Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection taken immediately below the upper base piece or board, showingin plan view the leaf-turner arms with their fingers and springs, andthe armretaining and tripping devices. Fig. 6 is an inverted view of theinvention, and Fig. 7 is an enlarged detached view, in side elevation,of the leaf-turning, arnrretaining, and trip ping devices.

In the embodiment of my invention I arrange above a bottom or lower baseboard, A, a second board, A, secured upon transverse cleats or bars a a,fastened upon the board or base A, the front or face edges of whichboards may, for the sake of finish or ornamentation, be configurated,the object of the duplication of which will appear farther- B is acasting or bracket, having an upper curved or semicircular portion,formed with rearwardly and outwardly extended portions,

in turn formed with downward extensions, which are bolted or screwed tothe rear edges ofthe lower base-board, A. The bracket or casting B isthus adapted to overhang and stand about centrally of the boards A A, asa preferable position, and is formed or provided at the center of itssemicircular portion at the front side with a socket or sleeve, 1), andfrom said sleeve or socket depends a plate, into which works athumb-screw, Z), the inner end of the tapered portion of the head ofwhich screw forms a shoulder, the function of which will be presentlyseen.

C is the sheet-music or book rack or holder proper, which comprises aseries of diagonal ly-crossing slats or bars connected together afterthe fashion of lazy-tongs, and connected fixedly at its lower end to acentral standard,C, but has a sliding connection near its upper end withsaid standard, whereby the rack can be extended or contracted, in orderto vary the size thereof according to the size of the sheet of music orbook to be accommodated or held thereon. The connection between the rackand standard is effected at the upper end by a headed bolt or rivet, (1,projecting from a plate, (2, and passed through a slot, 6, in thestandard and through the rack, said plate (1 being fastened to the rearside of the standard, and at the lower end by analogous means, the rivet(1 also passing through the slot 0 of the standard and the rack, and

projecting from a plate, 11', sliding upon the rear side of thestandard.

D D are clasps or binders, which are so dis posed upon the rack C thatthe rivets d d aforesaid are further utilized to secure them in place,and which clasps or binders are each constituted of a springinetal splittube, the longitudinal edges or lips of which tube are curved or turnedinward, to prevent the same from tearing the sheet-music which they aredesigned to hold, the back edge of the music being inserted into saidclasps or binders through the slots or spaces between the longitudinaledges of the latter. Beyond the bottom or lower edge of the rack projecthorizontal pins or stiff wiresff, being fastened to the rear side of therack, which pins or wires are arranged a suitable distance apart andserve to support or hold a book, when the music is in that form.Arranged upon the rear side, of the standard 0, and in a plane above therack O,are'two spring-arms, E E, having slight downwardly-projectingouter ends, which are I brought into requisition when it is required tohold the leaves as against turning in at the I upper corners or leavingtheir places, thesaid 1 arms being sprung forward,and so as to cause theslight projections at their free ends to rest upon the leaves of thebook or the sheet-i music, as the case may be. Theinner ends; of thesearms are pivoted to the cross-piece of an approximately T-shaped plate,9, with the lower end of its vertical portion or stem riveted to aplate, arranged to move in align" ment with the slot 6 of the standard0, and connected to the rack, to permit it to move; therewith by thesliding rivet d of the rack. 1 The cross 'piece of the plate 9 isalsoclipped, as at g, to the standard 0, which "clip is; adapted to slideupon the latter, and from the inner side of said cross-piece of theplate projects a rectangular bar, which extends through the slot 'e'o'fthe standard and an angni la'r closely-fitting slot, 9, in the rear partof i the 'cli p g". Beyond the clip 9 the bar 9 is formed into a screw,and upon the latter is; fitted a thick washer, (preferably wood); and amilled thumb-nut, g, by the screwing up of which not both thespring-arms EE-and the rack O are firmly held at their point of adj ustmen t. g The rack, with all of its above-described adj'unctive parts, isheld or sustained in an upi right position by the insertion of the lowerend of the standard 0 into the socket or sleeve 1), previouslydescribed, and a'l lowingij its'slot to receive the screw 1), and thenby turning the screw until the shoulder of its] head is brought againstthe standard the ia'tter will be firmly secured in position.

F F are the series of leaf-turning arm's,'w%hich are a'rrangedhorizontally between the boards A A",and upon a common pivot or axis, h,secured at its ends to and about centrally of the said boards. Thesearms are each .pr0- vidcd at its free end with two fingers, F, be,:tween which a leaf or sheet is received and carried in turning thesame. These ends of I the arms are bent or stand vertically, as at 13,to secure the proper disposition of the tin-- gers with relation to theleaves or sheet of:

\ music; also, in order to prevent the interferar'r'angedbetween the twoboards A A.

ence of the action of one with the other, the arms-are variedsuccessively in length, whilev the vertical portions iiof the moredistantor outer ones are oflset, as at i i, horizontally, to j adaptihemfor engagement with the further;

removed leaves. The inner'ends of these arms are each flexibly connected'by a plate, 4", and

The

outer ends of the springs G are connected to a common lpin passedthrough and fastened to the plates H.

I is the leaf-turner-arm retaining device,

angled bracket or flange, j, projecting from one side of a downward andforward extension, j, thereof, which bracket or flange has its verticalportion let into and fastened to the front edge of the board, while itshorizontal portion fits against the underside of the board. The forwardand downward extension, j, of the retaining device I is also extendedupward at the frontend of the slot of said device, to prevent-theleaf-turner arms from being forced out of said slot by the action oftheir springs, while the lower .end of said extension j is provided withan inwardly-projecting ar-m,j extending under and partially let into arecess, "k, in the lower side of the base-board A, the purpose of whichwill appear further on.

J is the leaf-turne'r-arm tripping or releasing device,which comprises aslide or the trip proper, J, arranged to move upon the forwardextension, 9, at its one side, and upon or in contact with a verticalshoulder or guide, j, formed upon said extension, said slide or triphaving a headed pin or projection, 70, fi-tted to have movement in avertical slot, If, in said extension '9', "to also guide and :limit themovement of the trip or slide when actuated. The trip or slide isarranged in alignment with the opening of the slot of the arm-retainingdevice I, and is actuated so as'to bemoved pastthe forward end of saidslot and to the opening of the slot, in order to separatelylift theleaf-turner arms 'outof the retaining device ;I by a lever, K, let intoa channel or re- 'ces's in the under side of the base-board A andpivoted to the arm j, and to the said slide or trip proper, J. The innerend of the leverK is both acted upon by aspring, L, to hold the trip orslide normally depressed,and connected to a'second lever, M, whichspring is also let into the under side of -and fastened to the "board A.The lever M is likewise sunk and pivoted in a recess orchan'nel, Z, inthe under side'o'f the board A,sufiiciently wide to permit of an axialmovement, aswell as of movement upon its pivot, of the lever, to readilyaccommodate the arm M (with which the lever is prov-ided)'to'thepositionof the hand of the player of the musical instrument. Said arm.Mfexte'nds about at a'right angle from the lever,

andforwardly and downwardly, and in practice toward the key-board of theinstrument, and closely to the hand of the player, in such contignity asto permit of the actuation of the lever-arm in operating thetripping-device to turn the leaves of the book or sheet-music byaboutthe'sa me'movement ofthehand as that required in playing theinstrument, thus'en abling 'the'same to "be readily or quickly operated,and

without any loss of time or break in the music, as would be experiencedin the use of the hand directly in turning the leaves or music. Thelower end of the lever-arm M is provided with an eye or socket, m,having an adjusting and holding screw, m, which eye is designed toreceive a wire rod, N, held therein by said screw, which rod, however,is only brought into use in the event the lever-arm M should fail topermit of its being adapted to be actuated by the hand of the player inthe manner just described. The flexibility of the rod (being of wire)permits of its being readily bent, if required, to effect the result orend just named in connection with the lever-arm M.

The contrivance as above described, as an entirety, is connected oradjusted to the ledge or cleat at the front of the musical instrument,just above the key-board, by clips or clamps a, secured to the ends ofthe base-board A, as shown in the plan view, Fig. 2, and adapted to heslipped and clamped upon said ledge or cleat by means of the binding orclamping screws and nuts 02, the screws working in the clamp or clampsnear the inner connected ends of their plates and in nuts, as seen inthe latter or same figure. This contrivance can be applied also to brassinstruments played by the mouth, or wherever book or sheet music isused, and is readily constructed, simple, and cheap.

From the foregoing the operation is obvious, it only being necessary,with the leaves or sheets of the music placed between the fingers of theturner-arms and the latter placed in the retaining device, to actuatethe leverarm M or the rod N, as the case may be,when

the said arms will be lifted out of the retaining device, and by theaction of their springs be sprung to the opposite side of the baseboardsA A, thus effecting the turning of the leaves, which of course is doneas the pages are wanted.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The music rack or holder comprising a series of crossing bars orslats connected together after the fashion of lazy-tongs, and having atthe base supporting pins or projections, in combination with the centralslotted standard, the T-shaped plate having a set or adjusting screw,and the spring-arms connected to said plate, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The music rack or holder having at its center the split-tube clampsor binders connected by rivets to said rack, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. The music rack or holder comprising the lazy-tongs, jointed orconnected slats or bars having clamps or binders, and the centralstandard, the upper end of the rack having a sliding connection withsaid standard, subst-antiall y as shown and described.

4. The music rack or holder comprising the lazy-tongs, connected bars orslats, the central slotted standard, and the set or adjusting screwhaving connection with the said rack, and adjustable along the slot ofsaid standard, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a music rack or holder, the combina tion, with the bracket havinga base support and a socket or sleevc,and a pendant provided with ashouldered set or holding screw, of the rack having a central slottedstandard, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination, with the rack having a central standard, of theconnected base-boards and. the bracket or casting of a semicircularconstruction at its upper portion, and provided thercat with a socketand pendant having a set orholdingscrew, the lower portions or arms ofsaid casting or bracket being bent or extended outwardly and rearwardlyand vertically and secured to said baseboards, substantially as shownand described.

7. The combination, with a music or book rack or holder comprising aseries of crossing bars or slots connected together after the fashion oflazy-tongs, having supporting pins or projections, the split-tube clampsor binders secured in the center of said rack or holder, and the centralslotted standard, of the springarms having a pivotal connection with aclip adapted to slide along said standard and .be held by a set-screw atthe point of adjustment, substantially as shown and described.

8. The combination, inabook or music rack, with the pivoted leaf-turnerarms having vertical fingers and spring-actuated connection with thebase or support of said rack, of the retaining device, substantially asdescribed, and i the tripping device comprising the slide connected to aspring-actuated lever, said lever being connected to a second leverpivoted in under the said base or support, and having an arm extendingat about a right angle therefrom, substantially as shown and described.

9. In a book or music rack, the combination, with the two baseboardsconnected together, of the lcaf-turners pivoted between said boards, theplates connected to said leaf-turners, the links or loops, the springsconnected thereto, and the plates between which said springs aresecured, substantially as shown and described.

10. The combination, with the spring-actuated leafturners pivotedbetween thetwo baseboards, of the retaining device having an openslotted plate, the tripping device having a pin or projection fitted ina slot in the forward extension of said retaining device, the springactuated lever connected to said tripping de vice, and the second leverhaving an arm pro-. vided with an eye or socket, and a holdingscrew forretaining a wire rod, substantially as shown and described.

11. A music rack or holder consisting of a rack comprising a series ofcrossing bars or slats connected together after the fashion oflazy-tongs, the split tubes, clamps, or binders,

IIO

the central slotted standard, the two baselever of said tripping device,substantially as 10 boards, the casting or bracket having an 11pshownand described.

per curved portion, a socket or sleeve, the T- In testimony whereof Iaffix my signaturein shaped clip provided with a screw sliding inpresence of two witnesses.

5 said standard, the springarms, the leaf-tnrners pivoted between saidbase boards, the CURTIS JONES springs secured between plates, and thespring- Vitnesses: actuated tripping device connected to the re- JAMESGRISWOLD, raining device, and the lever connected to the ERAsTUs E.CLARK.

